


Sleepwalking

by lukeyandlou



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Gen, Halloween, Horror, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Spooky, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-07-28 23:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16251599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lukeyandlou/pseuds/lukeyandlou
Summary: When Halloween comes around, the gang have an idea to take a trip upstate to celebrate the holiday. However, all the fun ends when they learn there's a killer in the house.





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first TMNT work in a while but I decided to do a Halloween special! This is a horror/slasher fic so be prepared for that. This is a HUMAN AU. Also, if you read my other works, these chapters will be a lot shorter because this is only a miniseries of about six chapters. Just a little fun thing for the best time of the year! Stay spooky friends!

Autumn – the season of change.

It’s the contrast between the bright pigments of the orange leaves which showered the ground compared to the grey shadow that lay in the overcast sky, the cracks of each leaf breaking  with a crack when her boots touched the cement compared to the gentle sprinkles of precipitation which bounced off of the tip of her nose. It all couldn’t help but bring a smile to her face.

Autumn was a season that April O’Neil had fallen in love with. The warmth of the sweaters with colors that matched the ginger in her hair and the festivities of the harvest. Most importantly, the celebration of Halloween.

The 31st of October had always been one of her favorite nights of the year. It had always glowed in her childhood all the way through her teen years, and at the ripe age of eighteen, it had a whole new opportunity.

This year, Halloween had landed on a date where her father would be out of town.

It was a rare occasion that she and her friends went on outings outside on Manhattan, but she figured that since high school was over now, that could change. Her friends were certainly delighted o hear the idea when she presented it to them on a Friday night, and Leonardo’s skepticism was re-assured by the fact that it would only be one night.

One night; and a night that she wouldn’t settle to be any less than the best.

Since the beginning of high school, her gang of six had been inseparable, no one coming in between them. She feared things might change when she and Donnie started dating, but their little family had only become even closer. They had spent absolutely every holiday, birthday, and occasion together.

That was why she worried that the boys might not be so keen on the idea of Irma coming along.

Outside of her group, April had always been close with the girl since they had biology together freshman year. Some of her friends weren’t very fond of her, for she contained an awkwardness that she could not escape. However, that wasn’t Irma’s fault, so she decided that this time around she would persist against their opinions.

Excitement swam in her eyes as she arrived at the home, her sleepover bag hanging from her shoulder.

“I’m here!” she announced, welcoming herself in and scanning the area, hoping to see the others standing with their bags as well. Yet all that was in sight was Mikey slumped over the coach eating a bag of potato chips.

“Hey, April,” he mumbled, not taking away his attention.

“Mikey, you’re supposed to be packing!” she walked over and pulled the chips out of his grasp to his dismay. “We have to go!”

“Well Casey and Raph aren’t even home!” he pouts, holding his hand out in an attempt to get her to return the chips. “They went to go search Casey’s place for some stuff they wanna bring along.”

“God, what did I expect?” she face palmed. “And as for your packing, kid?”

“It’s right here!” he grabbed a duffel bag from beside the couch.

“He just packs light,” Leo said, emerging from the kitchen with a backpack of his own.

“Well, at least someone’s ready,” she smiled back at him, handing the chips back to her younger friend. “Where’s Donnie?”

“Taking a nap,” Leo sighed.

“What?! Does anyone keep a watch around here?” she complained, “I’ll go get him.”

She attempts to mark her footsteps slowly as she travels down the hall, not wishing to wake him up abruptly. She creaks open the door to his room, delighted to see him bundled in the blanket she got him last winter.

“Hey, D,” she hummed gently, tucking herself into the blanket beside him and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

Donnie began to stir, first unpleasantly, but his expression softened immediately when he recognized her voice. His almond eyes flutter open, cupping her face in his palm.

“Is it time to go?” he asked, his voice still tranquilized from his nap.

“Yeah, as soon as Casey gets back, considering he’s the driver and all. You all packed?” she said, closing her eyes to melt into his touch.

“I packed last night before bed,” he tells her, and then closes his eyes again. “Can’t you just lay down with me for a while?”

“You know I wish we could, love,” she smiled warmly, “We’ve got to go before dusk if we want to make the most of our Halloween night up there.”

Before he can respond, they heard the doorbell ring.

“Trick or treaters?” Donnie questioned.

“About that…I think it might be someone else,” she started.

“April! It’s for you,” Leo’s voice called from down the hall.

“Remember Irma?” she asked Donnie as they stood up and started out of the room.

“Wait, did you invite her?” he asked, stopping in the mirror to run his fingers through his wavy brown hair.

“Maybe,” she answered innocently.

“Casey’s definitely not going to be happy with that,” he sighed, and the two ventured out into the living room.

“Hey Irma!” April greeted, reaching to embrace her friend. “You know these guys, right?”

“I sure do,” Irma responded, pushing her thick glasses back up against her nose.

“Guys, I thought Irma here could join us this time around,” April announced. “Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Leo smiled, holding his hand out to shake hers. “We’re taking a big van; there’s always room for one more.”

“Hey, do you want potato chips?” Mikey offered, not bothering to stop chewing.

“Pass,” she shrugged, seeming already annoyed him.

“Your loss, more for me,” he shrugged back.

The door slammed open; a gesture they’re much more familiar with.

“Who’s ready to party?!” Raph cheered, pulling out a bag of weed that they had retrieved from Casey’s room.

“Raphael!” Leo said, “Not in front of Mikey!”

“It’s okay, I ate one of those brownies once,” Mikey added nonchalantly.

“You know what? I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Leo said, “Everyone’s here right? To the van I go.”

It was that moment that Casey noticed Irma’s presence, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

“April, can I talk to ya for a minute?” he asked, pulling the girl into the kitchen before she could reply.

“What is she doing here?” he asked immediately.

“I invited her to come. She told me she had nothing to do this Halloween and I figured that there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be able to come with us,” April stated.

“Oh wait, there is a reason,” Casey said, “Because she’s fucking weird!”

April covered his mouth with her palm, worried that Irma had heard him. “Can you not be a dick for once in your life? You’re pretty weird too last time I checked.”

“But she’s like creepy weird, you get me? She’s giving off those bad vibes,” he shuddered.

“Just be nice, okay? She’s my friend and I feel guilty just leaving her alone while I’m out having a good time. It’s just one night,” she told him.

Casey sighed. “Alright Red, fine. But you owe me.”

“Don’t expect more than a piece of gum,” she teased, and he threw an arm over her shoulder as they followed everyone out to the car.

 After several arguments of who sits where and Raph telling Mikey to shut up enough times to become painfully annoying, the drive upstate finally began.

It took approximately three hours; though it felt like ten with Mikey complaining about the drive the whole way.

“Here we are!” April smiled, swinging the car door open and jumping onto the ground. “Isn’t it just beautiful this time of year?”

“It’ll be even more beautiful tomorrow, when you could actually see the leaves,” Leo said, infatuated with the natural environment.

“That is…if we make it to tomorrow,” Raph joked, “Halloween in the woods? Definitely a murder spree waiting to happen.”

“Stop!” Mikey exclaimed, “You’re scaring me man!”

“I’m just teasing you, kid,” he walked over to him, “Or am I?”

“Leave him alone, Raph,” Leo says, “We’ve got some exploring to do.”

April leads the way as the group enters the home; and it looks a lot different than it did when they were there before.

“Who boarded up the windows?” Donnie asked, seeing that the glass of the windows replaced with boards of wood.

“Guess my dad had it done, weather conditions or something,” she guessed.

They venture further through the home, searching and seeing nothing but an array of spider webs.

“Well, this is disgusting,” Leo noted.

“This place wasn’t full of insects last time I checked,” Casey investigated, “It’s awesome though.”

“Actually they’re arachnids, Jones,” Donnie could not resist correcting. “Anyway, it’s a pretty good place to spend Halloween.”

“What are we gonna do now? Pig out on candy or watch some horror flicks?” Raph asked.

“I think we’re gonna need some munchies first,” Casey smirked at him, swiping out a lighter.

“Well you guys do that in the basement away from everyone else. We’ll get started up on a movie,” April said.

“Does it have to be a scary movie?” Mikey asked, looking years younger than he was.

“Yes Mikey, it’s Halloween. If you can’t handle it you won’t come next year,” Donnie told him.

“No! I’ll be seventeen next year, I’ve got to come,” he tried to make himself bigger, only causing Casey and Raph to laugh at him.

“Off you go, assholes,” April turned to them, and they happily start to go down towards the basement stairs.

“Wait, can I come?”

They turn around in surprise to see Irma requesting to tag along.

“Wait? Irma wants to get stoned?!” Casey held in an intense laughter.

“Just let her Case,” Raph turned to him, “It’ll probably be hilarious.”

“I’ll just follow behind, then,” she said, and the guys quickly stepped down the stairs.

“Plot twist!” Mikey laughed.

Irma began to take a few steps down the stairs when she missed a step, losing her balance.

“Ah,” she shouted, tumbling down the wooden stairs and crashing to the floor.

“Irma!” April and the others began to run down the stairs, “You alright?!”

“I’m fine,” she said in embarrassment, the other six all staring at her, taking April’s hand to stand her up. Both of her knees quickly became absorbed with blood.

“We’ve got some first aid in the bathroom, let’s go,” April told her, throwing her arm over her shoulder and helping her up the stairs.

“It’s okay, I have my own band-aids. I just left them in the van. I’ll be going to go get them, then,” Irma said once she got up the stairs, Casey and Raph shrugging and closing the basement door behind them.

“You sure you want to go out there alone?” Leo asked her.

“Yeah, it’s super creepy out here at night. One time, we came over here and I saw a lizard outside and I wanted to go catch it but then-

“Positive,” Irma interrupted him. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” April reluctantly agreed, and Irma exited through the front door.

The movie began to play, and five minutes passed.

“Shouldn’t she be back by now?” Leo questioned.

“Maybe she’s taking care of it outside?” April pondered.

“I’m gonna go check on her,” Mikey stood up, “It’s what a _gentleman_ would do.”

“Oh please, it’s because you’re scared of this damn movie,” Donnie teased.

In that same instance, a shallowly cold _scream_ crept through the walls.

The pitch was high enough for Raph and Casey to come out of the basement as well in alarm.

“Irma!” April exclaimed, running towards the door with the group following behind her. They quickly scattered through the proximity searching for the girl, but the only trace of her was an open box of bandages on the floor beside the van.

April leaned down to pick up the box, examining it carefully and then turning to face the darkening woods.

“She’s gone.”


	2. Two.

The air was suffocating – the gravity sinking on top of them and stifling its way into their lungs. The night had a chill to it; the wind creeping up against their bodies with only enough strength to remind them that they are not alone.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Donnie asked, a monotone hit to his voice, so complimentary to the wind’s roar which was only slight enough to be felt.

“Dude, what did I tell you?!” Mikey panicked, jumping back and hiding himself behind Raphael. “We have the bright idea to go into the woods on Halloween where there’s no service and you expect someone not to go missing?!”

“I’m sure she’s not missing,” Leo added, “Maybe she just wanted some space.”

“If she just wanted some space then why would she scream?” April asked, turning sharply.

“I don’t know, maybe because she’s weird,” Casey shrugged, considering returning to the home.

“C’mon dude, not now,” Raph elbowed him, April giving him a look of distaste.

“Well, maybe we could look for her,” Donnie suggested, the group all looking up at him in response of the idea, but no one having something to say.

“He’s right,” April broke the silence, “Something could be wrong. We have to help.”

“But what if whatever is in those woods comes for us too?” Mikey winced.

“Then we won’t split up. It can’t catch all of us at once,” April reminded them, and they all nodded in response.

The group finally embarked from the pavement, slowly emerging onto the dirt that marked each step into the wilderness.

Each step into a darkness; a darkness where anything could be lurking.

“Irma?” April called out, her voice echoing into the array of silence which bounced back at them.

Silence all but the roar of the wind.

“Wouldn’t we cover more ground if we just paired up?” Leo asked.

“NO!” Mikey jumped up, his teeth trembling. “We can’t split up, we can’t! We’ll all die that way!”

“Let’s not be so drastic, no one’s going to die here,” Donnie attempted to comfort, giving him a glance of reassurement. “She’s just lost is all, and we’ll find her soon enough.”

“Okay, we’ll take a walk around the place and then take a turn again and see if we get anything. Everyone good with that?” Leo asked, and they all solemnly nodded.

The walk into the woods is only delving deeper into a black abyss, a blanket that tucks them in with an unmerciful wave. They do not have the courage to speak to each other, for the ominous energy of the night confined them in their own bodies, letting them focus on nothing other than the clouds that surrounded them.

“Is this place freaking anyone else out?” Mikey asked, finally working up his vocals to break the eerie silence.

 “Psh, no,” Raph gives off an awkward laughter, cutting short when a hanging tree branch scratches against his shoulder, letting out a sharp yelp.

“Right,” Donnie rolled his eyes, and the walk continued on.

They called for the girl’s name – but only that _wind_ would answer them.

“Okay, this isn’t going anywhere,” Leo turned around, the wind making his hair shelter the blues of his eyes. “Maybe she found her way back by now, and is freaking out that no one is there.”

“He’s got a point,” Raph said, “As much as I hate to admit it.”

“Okay, fine. We’ll go back to the place and see if she’s there, and if not, we’ll figure out what to do from there,” April said, turning around and following back along the path they came from, the others quickly following behind her.

Any reason was a good one to escape this black blanket. To stop hearing this _wind._

“Raph?” Mikey whispered toward his older brother, resting a shaky hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah?” Raph responded, seemingly annoyed with being held behind.

“You promise you won’t let anything happen to me? L-Like if real stuff is about to go down? I don’t want the others to know but I’m kind of scared.”

Raph sighed, looking at the dirt for a moment for looking back up at his baby brother. “Yeah, Mikey. You’re fine.”

Mikey took a deep breath in as Raph picked up his pace to follow the others, trying to catch up to Casey. He would have followed, but he didn’t want to annoy his brother.

Poor Michelangelo, who always put others first. Who did everything he could to make sure everyone was happy, even if he wasn’t. Who always tried to be older than he was; until he began to grow truly _afraid._

Poor Michelangelo, who was foolish enough to walk in the back of the group.

April ran up to the porch of the home, pushing her bangs away from her face in relief to be out of the wilderness’ edges. Donnie quickly caught up to her, resting his hand on her back.

“You okay?” he asked her, and even in the blackness of the night, his eyes had never felt so safe.

“Yeah,” she smiled back at him, pushing a strand of his hair behind his ear. “Let’s go.”

With the woods being so black, so chilling and so empty; it would be expected that the insides of the house would be warm, would be an escape and comfort from the crumbling night outside of them. Yet, as they walked inside the door, it was only a hole without light; without soul. The woods without wind.

Without words, they ventured deeper inside, searching through every room for any sign of the girl. The place was the same as they left it last – only more encompassed by a darkness that held the night.

Leonardo nervously took steps closer towards the restroom – which had its door creaked open only slightly, the wood splintering off of the bottom. It was the only place in the house they hadn’t checked – and he could only pray that she would be inside.

When he stepped inside, there definitely was something to be found. Something that wasn’t Irma Langenstein.

“Guys…” his voice cracked, and he could no longer conceal the fact that he was stricken by terror. “GUYS!”

Footsteps quickly crowded their way to the bathroom, all stopping behind him so that they all fit in the door way. In front of them was the mirror, their reflections staring back at them, but reflections with a twist.

For the mirror was stained with blood; and they were staring at their faces covered in it.

“Alright, that’s it!” Leo exclaimed. “We’re going home right the fuck now!”

“We can’t just leave Irma in a place like this!” April protested.

“How do we know it’s not already too late? Who’s blood is that?” Raph asked.

“Guys…” Donnie started, but his timid voice is dominated by the argumentative ones.

“Are you going to die? Cause I’m not down to fucking die,” Casey already began to pack his stuff.

“I’m just saying I’m not going to just leave her here, if someone got her we need proof of that first!” April responded.

“GUYS!” Donnie’s voice gained volume, all of them silencing to his attention.

“Where’s Mikey?”

The realization sinks into their guts, their eyes scanning the room to see no sign of the youngest member.

“Shit,” Raph’s eyes widened, remembering the fear Mikey had in the woods, “Fuck!”

He slammed the door wide open and ran out of the house, the others running at his feet.

They didn’t care about going back into the woods, the woods with the wind that seemed to eat people alive. That was their little brother.

“MIKEY!” Raph’s voice echoed into the woods, shaking inside their eardrums.

“Wait, quiet!” Casey said, “Listen.”

Faintly, as if they were covered by something, rang the sound of cries. Cries that seemed all too familiar.

“They’re from over there!” Leo pointed, and they all ran into the direction.

The first sight other than dirt and trees was a wooden shack; a wooden shack that had crying inside of it.

“Is he in there? I think he’s in there!” Raph ran towards the shack with all of his bodyweight, crushing the door into pieces.

“We’re not all going to fit in here,” Raph turned to them, “I’ll go.”

“Are you insane?” Donnie protested, “That’s my kid brother and if you think I’m not going to-

“Please,” Raph told them, and his green eye began to water, a quite unusual sight. “I promised him I would protect him. I’ll have him out right now and we’re getting the hell out of here.”

The group surrendered, standing back as Raph ran inside and squeezed himself in. The darkness did not permit him to see – but it did permit his other senses.

It permitted him to hear, to hear his brother’s crying only inches away from.

It permitted him to feel, to feel a warm liquid touching his knees.

“Mikey?” he asked, terrified to get a response while begging for one all at once.

“Raph, help me!” the kid’s sobbing was incoherent, and Raph was close enough now to feel his legs kicking against him. “Help me, help me, it can’t stop bleeding, it can’t stop bleeding-

Raph could barely make out what he was saying. He desperately felt around until he felt the locks of his brother’s hair, and then he turned to hold his head over his lap, feeling a face covered in tears. “Oh, god, Mikey, what happened.”

“I don’t wanna die Raphie, I don’t wanna die,” he sobbed, holding his hand onto his stomach. “I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.”

Raph had enough adrenaline to punch down a flank of wood, enough light from the night sky seeping in to see his brother’s face.

To see his brother’s body – his stomach sliced open and penetrated and blood drowning everything around it.

Raph was in shock, staring at it profusely until his brother’s hysterics snapped him back to reality.

“Shh, it’s okay, baby brother, it’s okay,” he stroked his hair, “I’m here, I’m going to protect you.”

For a second, the sobbing stops, and Mikey looks up at him, the life already gone from his eyes.

“Don’t go back there Raphie, don’t go back,” he whispered, coughing blood all over his chin.

“Who did this?” Raph asked, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“It was…It was…

The life cracked out of the blue in his eyes, the kid’s body pale as a ghost.

“Mike? Mikey?” Raph pleaded, resting his head on his brother’ chest in search of a heartbeat, not caring this the entire side of his cheek was stained with blood.

“Wake up, Mikey, wake up!” he started to sob, holding his brother’s body closer to him.

“This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening,” he rocked back and forth, clawing into his arm to really prove that this wasn’t a nightmare.

“Come back baby brother, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed, completely breaking down when he understood that this was truly a cold reality.

“RAPH!” he could hear April call out.

Oh god, how was he going to tell the others?

He was supposed to protect Mikey. He _promised._

Maybe he could still protect everyone else.

Gaining enough strength to lift his hand, Raph gently closed his brother’s eyelids, and delicately picked him up as if he were the most delicate thing in the world. Finally, he emerged outside.

It was dark, so very dark, but they could make out Raphael covered in blood, and Michelangelo, who was so vividly full of life, completely void of it.

“…Mikey?” Leo hesitantly stepped closer, seeing his baby brother lifeless in Raphael’s arms.

They all were in too much shock to make a next move.

“We’re getting out of here now,” Raph made himself say, and he started to run, everyone running behind him. They ran to the van, deciding that bringing their stuff wouldn’t be necessary.

“The tires are slashed…” Donnie realized, and they all looked up in horror.

“The killer’s outside, right? So let’s get in the house!” Casey alarmed them, and they all followed his instructions, slamming the door behind them.

A door with no lock.

Raph gently laid Mikey down, and everyone circled around him, too frozen to even grieve. Just when they are about to break, there’s a sound of something creaking from the wooden window. A stabbing sound.

Something had broken through the wood. The tip of a knife.

The tip of the knife coming deeper into the wood, but none of them could speak much less move, and then the knife slices to the side. A knife covered in blood. Blood that they knew.

The knife carves out a square, the perfect cut piece of wood falling to the floor, giving them a glimpse of the night sky.

They see a figure, but not only a figure. A figured wearing a gas mask, breathing heavily into the home. The figure waves a hand at them and reveals the poor girl’s glasses – and they snap them straight in half.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor baby Mikey. Who do you think will die next?


	3. three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter one, but important bridge. New chapter Sunday!

So very acute and salient; all at once.

The blade slid from the wood back to the posterior, shards splintering off the edges and slipping through the open space that had been carved. As the figure in the gas mask stared at them, the gravity was paralyzing, and none of them had the courage nor the stupidity to speak.

The killer leaned in a little closer, even close enough for them to hear the hot takes of breath escaping from the mask, and with that, turned to the left and disappeared from sight.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” Casey muttered under his breath, his lip quivering.

“Okay guys, we need a plan, and we need a plan now,” Leo suggested, his face pale enough to make him appear no different than a ghost.

“I have a plan,” Donnie responded, “And it’s get the hell out of here!”

“We can’t do that if our tires are slashed! We need to consider another way to get out!” Leo panicked.

“Like what? Are we going to just run off into the woods?” Donnie replied.

“No!” April interrupted, the harshness in her voice enough to stop their bickering. “We are going to fight back.”

“She’s right,” Raph said, his eyes stilled glued to the face of the body laying over his lap. “He has to pay for what he did.”

“We can’t kill someone, Raph,” Leo’s voice wavered, and it was evident that he was trying his best not to cry.

“Are you serious, Leonardo?” Raph snapped, gently moving Mikey off of his lap and then aggressively jumping up to look his older brother in the eye. “Look at our little brother! Look at him! You think it’s okay that the monster who did this lives?”

“Stop it!” Leo yelled back, and Raph surrendered. “I want him dead just as much as you do, Raphael. But this isn’t the way to do it.”

“Maybe it is,” Donnie commented, taking the group by surprise. “There’s no way for us to contact the police. There’s no way for us to drive out of here. It’s our only choice, unless we are going to let the rest of us die too.”

“I have a gun,” April told them, “it’s under the bed in the room upstairs. My grandpa kept it there for emergencies. I think this counts as an emergency.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Casey said, “To just stand around and get killed? Did you guys not just see that guy staring at us like a minute ago?”

“Okay,” Leo finally agreed, “I guess you guys are right.”

“We’ll break off in pairs,” April suggested, “so that we can find different parts of the house. There’s enough knives in the kitchen for everyone to carry.”

“Really? Only one team gets the gun? Guess I’ll die,” Casey complained.

“No offense, but I wouldn’t trust you with a gun in a million years, Casey. If you see him, scream. Scream anything, as long as I can hear it. And then I’ll come, we catch the guy, and we bust the hell out of here,” April replied.

Raph moved over to pick Mikey up again, and the group wandered into the kitchen to swipe some weapons. They tried to travel up the stairs quietly, for it was never a great idea to call too much attention to themselves.

Despite the fact that the killer was watching their every move, the eyes behind the mask focusing on its prey.

Finally, they made it to the room, the bed laying in front of them. Raph skidded to the front of the group, standing to the bed side and pulling down the blanket. He carefully laid Mikey’s body on the bed, the white sheets quickly staining crimson. As soon as he was settled, he pulled the blanket back over him, tucking him in as if he were in need of comfort.

The three brothers surrounded him, gazing down at what was their baby brother. He looked so distraught, yet so peaceful all the same.

So very acute and salient; all at once.

Raph moved in and brushed his bangs out of his eyes, kissing him on the forehead. Leo and Donnie did the same, Casey and April watching with devastated glances from the doorway.

“I love you, kid,” Raph whispered, “You will be avenged.”

When she felt it was appropriate, April walked through and they made way as she ducked down under the bed, pulling out the loaded gun. “It’s ready.”

“Wait, we’re an odd number,” Donnie pointed out, “Will we be a pair and a group of three?”

“No,” Leo said, “Three groups will cover more ground. I’ll go alone.”

“Are you insane?” April asked, “Going alone in this situation is the last thing anyone should ever do!”

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured, “I’ll call out for you if I see anything.”

“We don’t have time to argue, seconds are precious right now,” Donnie said, “Let’s just go get this over with.”

The group gave slight nods of agreement, and then they started out of the door.

“Casey and I will cover outside in the back,” Raph said, “That’s where we saw it last and I want to be the one to tear that stupid mask off and slit his throat.”

“I’ll go to the front, by the car,” Leo said.

“So me and D will just patrol the house,” April said, “That way if I hear either of you yell, I can just pop out of the window. Easy.”

“Okay, let’s get going,” Casey said, and they start to break apart.

“Wait!” April said, and they all turned from where they were walking. “I love you guys.”

“Love you too.”

Raph and Casey jumped out of the window, and Leo sprinted out of the front door. Donnie and April stayed in place.

They are silent first – for what is there to say in a time like this?

“Are you okay?” April asked.

“No,” Donnie replied abruptly.

April mentally cursed herself, for she already had known the answer.

“Mikey got a job last week,” Donnie said, after more minutes of silence. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you already.”

“Where?” April asked.

“Antonio’s pizza. He’d have to be eighteen to be a delivery boy, but he was going to work up at the counter. He was so damn excited. It was going to be his first job.”

April gave a weak smile. “I’m sure he’d be great at it.”

“Oh god, April,” Donnie turned to her, “He’s never going to make it to eighteen.”

April blinks her eyes, trying her best to not let tears seep out.

“He’s never going to live his best life. He only got the shitty one we had, being orphans living in poverty. I start Yale next year, and I was going to earn a better life for us. A better life for _him._ And now? He doesn’t have a damn life at all!” Donnie’s face cracked, tears streaking down.

April rushed to embrace him, cuddling him into his chest as he broke into sobs. Sobs so sharp; sobs that would forever cut their way into her heart.

So very acute and salient; all at once.

“Hey, look at me,” she cupped his cheek, “That boy did not have a shitty life. You know why? Because he had the best family he ever could. Ever. He had you Donatello, as an older brother; as a best friend. And for that he will always be the luckiest person to have ever lived.”

He wiped his eyes, looking up at her and kissing her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” she said, and kissed him.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he told her, hugging her to his chest.

“I know you won’t,” she said, “And I won’t let anything happen to you either.”

Meanwhile, Raph and Casey stand against the bushes, alert and ready to monitor.

“Casey?” Raph asked, awkwardly eyeing the ground.

“Yeah buddy?” Casey replied, turning towards him.

“What do you think happens after we die?”

“I don’t know, Raph,” Casey sighed.

“I hope there’s some sort of heaven,” Raph said, “That’s what Mikey deserves. He deserves to be in a place like that.”

“I think there might be, bud,” Casey reassured.

“You didn’t see it,” Raph clenched his eyes closed, “He was so damn terrified. He was screaming and sobbing, real hysterics, and his eyes were so, so scared. He died like that, Case. It kind of makes me wish I died too.”

“Hey, don’t say that man,” Casey turned to him, “Mikey wouldn’t want you to say stuff like that.”

“Ah, I know,” Raph sighed, “I just can’t help it, really, you know? Thinking that.”

Casey throws an arm around his best friend’s shoulders, resting his head on him. “I know it feels real fucked right now, but it’s gonna be alright. We’re gonna kill this guy dead, and then we’ll get out of here and we can start healing, bro.”

“I hope so,” Raph told him, “I’m scared man.”

“It’s okay, Raph, I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere-

Like a snake in the shadows, the killer emerged, stalking through the bushes silently with knife in hand – a knife covered in Michelangelo’s blood and splinters of wood all alike, and now, a knife that had gone through Casey Jones’ back.

“CA-

Raph’s plea is broken by a hand over his mouth, a hand holding a cloth soaked with chloroform. Within seconds, he drops to the floor, unconscious.

The killer leaned in to Casey and waved goodbye to him, pulling the knife back out of his body, and leaving the scene.

Casey fell to his knees, collapsing over Raph’s sleeping form and holding his hands over the rapidly bleeding wound through his body.

So very acute and salient; all at once.

 


	4. four.

Crimson shades are beautiful until they paint deadly.

Casey Jones lay against the dirt, the pigment in his skin falling to a shade of pale, his shaky fingers attempting to block the shades of crimson from pouring out of his body from the stab wound that had pierced his chest.

He built enough strength to turn his head, droplets of sweat staining his face, to see his best friend sleeping soundly unconscious beside him.

“R-Raph?” he whispered, reaching out to tap his side. “Wake up.”

Raphael did not budge, as the chloroform had knocked him out cold. The quirk of his lips made his expression looked alarm, but his rest otherwise looked enviously peaceful.

Casey’s vision began to blur, and he couldn’t tell if it was the life being drained from his body as the crimson poured or the tears that had begun to fall.

“Raph, please,” he pleaded, “Don’t leave me alone here.”

Silence.

Casey moved his hand to grab that of his friend’s, tightly intertwining his fingers around it. Despite the pain, he dragged himself closer to him,  and then rested his head on Raph’s chest.

The boy didn’t have a lot of fears; but dying alone was one of them.

Here he was, his speech impaired by the crimson in his mouth, laying on his best friend who’s white t-shirt was colored completely crimson over the night by blood that wasn’t his. Here he was, his copper eyes gazing at the overcast sky that surrounded them, not even a single star in vision to comfort him.

The only thing by his side being the rush of the wind, a wind so cold in nature.

“Love you, Raph,” he whispered, his eyes moving to his best friend’s face. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell ya as much as I should’ve.”

Raph would never know.

He was at least blessed enough to be the one bleeding out. It wasn’t Raph.

He thought that Raph had a lot more to live for.

Moments changed to seconds and seconds changed to minutes, and Casey felt in full affect as the crimson slowly drained the life from his body.

He felt it drain and drain and drain until his life’s very last drop.

Laying over Raphael, Casey died alone.

From the other side of the house, Leonardo felt something very off.

He couldn’t tell if he sensed the presence of the killer, or if he sensed a much direr tragedy. He knew that he had to stay alert, holding his kitchen knife tighter in his grasp.

Slowly, he took a few steps closer inward towards the home, for his intuition told him that the killer wouldn’t be in his proximity. He looked both ways to confirm this, and then goes back into the door way.

“Guys?” he called out, trying to see through the shadows.

“We’re here,” Donnie answered, and he and April walked down the stairs. “Find anything?”

“No, but I know he’s not out front,” Leo responded, “I think it might be more useful if we all walk together in search of him.”

His face was as solemn as stone, and he appeared to be so much older than he was.

“Okay Leo,” April gave him a weak smile, moving  to squeeze his hand. “We’ll find Raph and Casey and we’ll search together.”

She knew that it wasn’t only that Leo didn’t believe the killer would be in front, but that he had grown afraid.

The three walk together towards the backyard in search of Raph and Casey, unprepared for the viciousness of the wind that would meet them.

The lack of mercy the nature gave them.

“Raph? Case?” Donnie called out when the door opened, their eyes gazing around.

It was when April turned to the East that she saw it.

“Oh my god,” she whispered in horror, holding her hand over her mouth.

“April? What’s wrong-

Before Donnie could finish his sentence, April had zipped over, collapsing on her knees and not caring if she had scraped them. Donnie and Leo follow shortly behind, and then they see it.

“Casey…” Donnie exasperated, carefully leaning down and seeing his friend lifeless.

“Is Raph….” Leo started, and Donne immediately checked his pulse.

“Raph’s alive,” Donnie sighed in relief, “Just unconscious.”

“We’re all going to die,” Leo turned to them, tears filling his eyes. “I didn’t protect them, I didn’t protect them and now they’re dead and I did nothing about it! I let them die!”

“No Leo, there’s nothing you could have done,” Donnie said, and Leo stood up.

“There is something I could have done!” he yelled. “I could have made sure Mikey wasn’t standing in the back of the group, I could have not let Raph and Casey go out alone! I’m the oldest, I’m the adult here and I’m failing! What would father think of that? He died and I have this responsibility and I failed, Donnie!”

Leo fell back over, breaking into sobs. He had kept himself composed to this point, but he couldn’t handle it anymore.

Donnie ran over and crouched beside his older brother, pulling him into a tight embrace. He stroked his hair and started to rock him, and after a lifetime of his older brother comforting him when his anxiety got the best of him, he held him and allowed him to finally break those walls down.

“Leo, look at me,” Donnie said, resting his fingers under his brother’s chin to pull his head up. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, and I have never trusted someone more. I know you do your very best to take care of us, and I could never ask for better. You’re scared, and you’re grieving, and so am I. But we are going to get through this, and not everyone will die tonight. We simply won’t allow it. It’s not going to be okay; it never will. But we are going to survive it. We just have to stick together.”

Leo wiped a tear from his cheek, hugging back into his brother. “I love you Donnie. I will always try my best to protect you.”

“I love you too,” Donnie told him.

April could hardly hear, for her attention was too focused on the fact that she had seen the dead bodies of two of her best friends tonight.

She pulled Casey off of Raph, laying him on her lap and stroking his hair, wondering how long Raph been knocked out.

Terrified that her friend had died alone.

“Guys, we have to move now, before we lose someone else,” she said, her voice an icy cold. “Let’s go.”

As soon as she was finished, she heard the song of the back door crashing closed.

“He’s here!” she exclaimed, and within seconds disappeared into the darkness.

“April! Wait!” Donnie shouted, but she had already entered the house with the gun in hand.

“Let’s go!” Donnie turned to Leo, already getting up.

“What about them?” Leo asked.

“Carry Raph on your back,” he answered.

“And for Casey?” Leo asked.

Donnie sighed, looking down in sadness. “It’s too late for Case. We’ll come back for him. For now, we need to save who’s still alive.”

Leo gave a small nod of agreement, standing up and throwing Raph over his back, looking at his friend’s body sadly before following Donnie.

April ran up the stairs, her eyes full of a craving for revenge and each of her footsteps anticipating the moment she would put an end to this. The moment she would avenge her friends. She hoped that she would make it before Donnie and Leo caught up, because she didn’t want them in any more danger than they were already in.

She wanted to shoot this psycho and get it all over with.

She got herself up the stairs, and although she was surrounded by silence, she felt the killer’s presence nearby.

“I know you’re in here, motherfucker,” she said, keeping her finger rested on the trigger.

She did not notice that the closet had a door partly creaked open, and she did not notice that the killer was standing inside of it.

She didn’t notice, that is, until the killer pounced from outside the door, pushing her with full strength against the wall.

April collapsed and hit her head, the gun falling out of her hand. She scrunches her face and holds her head, blood now staining her ginger hair. When she snaps back to her senses, she is met by confusion.

Why didn’t the killer kill her? He had the perfect opportunity. Why didn’t he grab the gun when she dropped it?

She gasped as she was met by a realization – the killer was keeping her alive for a reason.

“That’s it,” she said slowly standing up and grabbing the gun again. She ran back out of the room, searching carefully for the killer. The concussion made her vision slightly blurry, but she knew that she was well enough to finish the job.

She saw a shadow of movement running towards her through the hall, and she knew that this was her chance.

Without words, she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

“April?”

The voice stabs into her gut as she hears it, her entire body melting from the inside out in a millisecond and melting her cold.

_No._

April’s nightmare was brought to a reality when she opened her eyes, and saw that she had succeeded at her shot. Though she hadn’t shot the killer. It wasn’t the killer at all.

She had shot Donatello.

 

 


	5. five.

Gravity – so heavy and so soft.

Gravity was pulling down on her as she watched him fall over, a bullet hole through his chest.

Leo stood in shock behind him, suspended in movement. In alarm, April realized that the killer was still in the house.

“Go get him Leo! Hurry!” she told him, and Leo knew what he had to do. April had a concussion; it wasn’t safe for her to do it. He wanted to stay with his brother, but he knew he had to do what was best.

Carefully dropping Raph on the floor, Leo sprinted off in the direction that April had gestured to.

As soon as Leo disappeared, April ran over to Donnie, resting his head on her lap.

She couldn’t even work up the words to say – not after what she had done.

Instead, she began to cry, speechless, staring at his face.

She wished she could stare at it forever. Stare at him being full of _life_.

“Shh,” Donnie reassured, cupping her cheek. “It’s okay, love.”

“It’s not okay!” she exclaimed, breathing almost as heavily as he was. “I did this, oh my god, I did this!”

“No April,” he told her, “I know you’d never hurt me.”

She continued to cry, holding tightly to his hand.

“Hey,” he said, reaching to pull her hair out of the ponytail, swiping it over her shoulder. “You’re so pretty with your hair down. You know that?”

“Don’t leave me, D,” she told him, “I can’t be without you, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” he gave her a smile.

“No,” she cried, squeezing his hand tighter.

“I’m in love with you, April,” he told her, “I’m in love with you and if you love me, you won’t blame yourself for this because that would hurt me too much. You were just trying to protect me. I understand, love.”

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she continued to cry.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” his breathing became more and more unsteady. “You’re going to be alright.”

“I will never be alright,” she replied, wiping blood from his chin.

“Yes, yes you will,” he said. “You’re going to get out of this one. I know it. He didn’t kill you, April. That means there’s something deeper going on. And you are the only one with the power to stop him.”

“Are you crazy? I tried to stop him, and look what happened,” she said.

“Maybe I am crazy,” he giggles ironically, “but the sane half of me says that you can do this. You can do this April, I know you can.”

“I can’t do it without you,” she cried.

“You’re so very strong,” she said, stroking her hair. “I know you can. I can go watch over my little brother now, but only if you watch over Raph and Leo.”

“I promise I will,” she said, “Anything for you.”

“I love you, April,” he told her.

“I…I love you more,” she snuggled into him.

They didn’t speak after that, only snuggling into each other while she focused on his harsh breaths, until one moment, they stopped.

Gravity – so heavy and so soft.

“Donnie, please,” she cried, sitting up and seeing his body limp. “Please, Donatello. Please.”

No response. Only the gravity.

“No, no, no,” she cried, turning away and smacking a hand against the floor.

_This can’t be real. It can’t be._

_She had killed her boyfriend._

She continued to sob, her hair seeping over her shoulder, digging her nails into her palms until she began to bleed.

The moment it happened kept replaying in her head, the feeling of accomplishment from thinking she had caught the killer to the feeling of emptiness when she realized she had accidently killed the love of her life.

She just _had_ to shoot the killer, so afraid of missing an opportunity that she didn’t even allow herself to carefully analyze her surroundings.

She was a _killer_ now, too.

The thoughts haunting her had her scratching her wrists, which she didn’t even notice until she felt the stinging of small scratches with dotted spots of blood seeping from them. She moved her nails away in fright, and turned back to Donnie, and was so taken back by the fact that he didn’t look afraid at all.

It was as if he were ready to go. Or maybe he just wanted her to feel less guilty.

She couldn’t help but feel that she should pay for what she’s done. Even if Donnie had forgiven her, she would _never_ be able to forgive herself.

Before her morbid thoughts could continue, she heard a rustling sound from the other side of the room.

_Raph._

Raphael could feel the force of consciousness returning to him, although his eyelids felt too heavy to lift. He wanted to sleep – to sleep for just a little longer, to return to the break from the gravity surrounding him. Even when he caught enough energy to open his eyes, he decided to keep them closed, in hopes of falling back asleep. That was until his hearing kicked in, and he could hear cries that sounded a lot like April’s.

He began to stir, stretching a little before opening them. Maybe because it was hard for him to wake – or maybe because he was too afraid to.

Finally, he sat up and peeled his eyes open; and as soon as he did, he wished he could close them again.

“A-April?” he asked, massaging his forehead in attempt to snap back to normal state.

April looked up at him in horror. How can she face him after what she did?

“Raph…” she started, attempting to stop her sobbing.

“Is Donnie…?” he asked, his voice starting to tremble.

“I’m so sorry, Raph,” she told him, not able to look him in the eye.

He stumbles over to where his brother lays, staring down at his face and brushing a strand of brown hair away from his eyes.

He was too empty to cry.

“Are we the only ones left?” he asked, no emotion in his voice.

“There’s Leo,” she told him, and he was relieved that at least one of his brothers was left.

“Casey didn’t survive the stabbing, did he?” he asked.

She doesn’t answer, but the look on her face says enough.

“Where’s Leo?” he asked, and she was almost afraid of the void of emotion in eyes that were typically so emotional.

“He went after the killer, I was going to go but I tried and then I couldn’t see and my head hurts and Donnie-

“Come here,” Raph said, opening his arms for her. Without hesitation, she jumped into his embrace.

He held onto her smaller frame tightly, and brushing her hair caused her to shudder as it was that last thing Donnie did.

“Come on,” he told her, “Let’s go find Leo.”

Meanwhile, Leo had been running through the home, adrenaline filling his veins and gravity pulling his body forward even when his heart stayed in that room.

Gravity – so heavy and so soft.

He began to regret not taking the gun; but it was too late to turn back now. The last time he checked, the killer was armed solely with a knife. If they both were armed with knives, there’s at least half a chance that he could win.

Carefully, Leo went through every part of the room, not understanding where the killer could have disappeared to that quickly. Whoever it was must of planned this out – but how? How did they know they were coming?

There was no sign of the killer anywhere.

He was just about to give up, turning around and heading to turn back around to tell April the news, when he started to feel the pressure on his neck.

A yellow rope that must have been in the house was tied around his neck, and there was nothing he could do about it. His movements were suspended, the pressure intensifying with the gravity at its pull, and he could hear the killer’s breathing behind his ear.

The tightening continued, and Leo could not say any words before his airway is cut off completely, dropping him to the floor.

The strangling ended; and so did Leonardo.

The killer left again, excited for April to see what had been done.

It was about a minute later that April and Raph had appeared, hand in hand as they searched for Leo as April gripped the gun tightly.

“Leo!” April exclaimed, and they sped up their pace to see Leo deceased on the floor.

“Fuck!” she cried, turning to Raph as if he were the only thing she had left in the world.

_Maybe because he was._

“April?” April turned in shock, not expecting to hear the voice ever again.

Nevertheless, there was Irma Langenstein, who they never did actually find, alive and well in the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one part left!


	6. six.

_Time stood still, the way it did before. It’s like I’m sleepwalking._

The shadows were deepening their way into the room’s every corner, consuming and infesting themselves into the hearts of those within.

Consuming and infesting in the girl’s pupils, so deep to block off a reflection.

“Irma?” April stated, surprise painted across her face. She and the others had proclaimed her friend for dead; just as the others had come to be. Yet it was true that her body had never been found – she should have been more open minded.

Out of all of them, though, how was it Irma to survive?

“Ah, April, it’s so good to see you!” the girl exclaimed, running up and wrapping her arms around her. Although, she was very far different than her usual appearance. Her pale arms were blanketed in cuts, dry blood staining her skin and some fresh blood leaking out of it as well.

“Oh Irma, what did he do to you?” April looked down at the girl, her eyes examining her injuries.

“It was horrible!” Irma said, “I thought I was never going to get out of there! I was so scared that you guys wouldn’t be alive when I got back!”

If only April would have noticed something plastic in her tone; a superficial voice.

“The others…didn’t make it,” April gazed down at the ground, “but the three of us are here, and we need to get going quick. The killer could be lurking around any corner.”

“Yeah,” Raph added, “We’re all scared here. We’ll have time for this later.”

His eyes were sullen, are energy void of his body, and his exhaustion would prove deadly. Lethal.

Irma stood away from them for a second, her emerald irises locked onto the wall parallel to her vision. April watched her in confusion, before she determined that something is going on with Irma.

“Irma? Are you okay?” she asked, and as soon as the words left her lips, the girl’s neck snapped back up, her pupils wide.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she began to circulate the area, first staring at Leo’s broken neck on the floor, and then looking back up to Raph. She began to wander behind him.

“What are we going to do now?” Raph asked, looking up to April. She tried to look away, though, for the tragic picture swimming in his eyes broke her heart into pieces.

“Do you guys know where the killer is?” Irma asked.

“Well, no,” April answered, and she seemed a bit weary at the drop in her friend’s voice. “We’ve been trying to catch him all night.”

Irma pauses again, her hand slid in the large pocket of her jacket.

“You know, I know who the killer is, April,” she said.

Her voice could almost be considered malicious; though they didn’t catch it.

They were too uplifted by her words, missing the signs that the girl exhibited.

“Who? Did they show their face to you?” she asked.

Irma took a moment to respond, her eyes on Raph’s back, focusing on the movements from his breathing. A smirk was drawn upon her lips.

“I know…” she started, and then, standing behind Raph, her hand swung out of her jacket, grasping a familiar knife, seemingly dipped in blood. “Because I _am_ the killer.”

She pierced Raphael in the back, the soft sound of tearing flesh suddenly so incredibly _loud._

April stood in shock, frozen, _paralyzed._ Her jaw hung open, words unable to come out, and the only action she could finally muster was to tighten her grip on the gun.

_Time stood still, the way it did before. It’s like I’m sleepwalking._

Raphael stumbled forward, falling to one side before the other before falling onto the floor, his nails clawing into it. His breathing became harsh, and he finally turned his neck around, looking at the evil filling the girl’s eyes.

The girl who seemed nerdy, timid, _innocent._ Now a murderer in cold blood.

“W-What?” was all April could say, and her response almost made her hate herself. She was fully aware of what had happened, for she had just seen an act in her own eyes. She just physically and mentally could not _process_ this warped reality.

“You know, I thought you would have figured it out earlier,” she said, flipping up the knife and blowing against its bloody tip. “You always were such a smart girl.”

“I-I don’t understand,” April said, “you w-went missing and-

“I tripped myself on purpose. It gave me an excuse to get outside, where I hid that outfit and mask last night. Believe it or not, it was only last night that I decided to do it,” she smiled from ear to ear, the malice in her face replaced with glee.

“Did you do those cuts to yourself?” April asked, her current state of calm beginning to grow alarming.

“How do you think I got the blood on the mirror in the bathroom? I thought that if I was gonna kill people, I might as well make it some Halloween fun,” she answered, casually.

“Why, Irma?” April asked, her body shaking, the grip on her gun tightening enough to hurt her palms, which were scratched from her earlier breakdown.

“It’s very simple, really,” Irma began, “Every time at I wanted to hang out, you couldn’t because you were with them. Every school day for four years, you only sat with them, while I sat alone in the library. I wanted you, I _needed_ you, and you didn’t care, because of _them._ That’s when I started thinking that there had to be a way to get rid of them, to take them out so you could be _mine._ And now? It happened! They’re gone and they’ll never get in between us again!”

Irma dropped the knife to the floor, the clanking sound startling them, and then ran up to April. “Now it’s just me and you April. Forever. Isn’t that wonderful?”

April couldn’t find it in her to look at her, still trying to recover from the shock, her lips trembling.

“Michelangelo was the most fun to kill,” Irma bragged, “Although I almost felt bad. He was always nice to me, but he was just as guilty as everyone else. I snatched him from the pack and the look in his eyes? Gave me enough motivation, enough _power_ to come after the bigger ones.”

“Shut up,” April mumbled, silent tears streaking her cheeks.

“He was begging me not to kill him, crying before I even touched him, he was calling out, for you,” she kicked Raph in the ribs. “After I sliced him, I made sure to show him my face. Someone had to know that they shouldn’t have messed with me. That’s when I ran for it.”

“Go to hell, bitch,” Raph got out, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth.

April continued to say nothing, until she slowly raised the gun, pointing it into between Irma’s eyes.

“Oh April,” she smiled, obviously without fear. “You wouldn’t hurt me.”

“You killed my _family,_ ” April got out, her voice stricken with a light sob. “I won’t sleep again until you’re dead too.”

“That isn’t true!” Irma walked even closer, almost close enough for the gun to touch her forehead. “Don’t you see? You’re free now! We can be together forever, and nothing, nobody, can stop us!”

“I will never be yours, you sick bitch,” April answered, “ _Never.”_

“Why not?” Irma’s damn _smirk_ returned, “Don’t you remember? We’ve both got blood on our hands.”

April looked away for a second, flashbacks to the way her heart felt when she realized the bullet had struck Donnie filling her brain, looking down at his blood on her shirt.

“You’re right,” she answered, “And for that? I don’t know if I deserve to live either. But that will never change what you did. What you did on purpose. How could you do that to me?”

“Do that to you? I did it for you, April,” she answered, “Now, we can finally live.”

“Live? Guess again,” April told her, resting her finger against the trigger.

“I know you wouldn’t do it,” Irma giggled, “Not after knowing it’s me.”

“Do you wanna see what I could do?” April threatened, ice and fire in her voice all at once.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention,” Irma said, “You look really pretty with your hair down-

April pulled the trigger.

Irma’s body limply fell backward, a bullet hole through her brain, her mouth still open mid-sentence.

The killer was no more.

The gun dropped to the floor, slamming against it.

“Raph!” April realized, stepping over the crimson puddle coming from Irma’s head and running to her friend, helping him sit up.

“C-Can I see the gun?” he asked, his voice slurred.

She thought the request odd, but handed it to him anyway.

He proceeded to shoot Irma’s corpse three more times; not only to assure her termination, but to get out the last bit of rage that had been swarming in his emptiness.

The gun rolled out of his weak grasp.

“Okay, she’s gone,” April told him, “You’re gonna be okay. I’m going to apply some pressure, okay?”

She took off her shirt for extra material, trying to press it against Raph’s wound.

“No,” he said, using his minimal strength to push her hand away.

“If you let me do this, you’ll have a chance at surviving,” she insisted.

“Don’t you get it, April?” he looked her in the eye, his face completely blank. “I’m already dead.”

She doesn’t respond to that, only interpreting what his words meant.

She completely understood.

Surrendering, she moved her hand away from him, throwing the shirt absentmindedly away.

“Just don’t leave, alright?” he requests, and he looked much younger than eighteen.

“Of course I won’t,” she said, sliding herself down to sit beside him and holding his hand.

They spend a few moments in silence.

“Well, this sure was one hell of a Halloween,” he nearly chuckles, tears falling down his cheeks.

“Shut up,” she nearly chuckles back.

He looks at her, a smile on his face, and then his eyes lose focus.

His breathing stops.

April turned her attention away from him, instead looking up at the ceiling.

She was now truly and completely alone.

_Not for long._

Her heartbeat felt as if it would rip her organs straight through her ribs, but felt non-existent nonetheless. She had lost full touch of reality, only truly feeling the burning in her brain.

The burning that told her what she needed to do.

Hesitantly, she reached past the bloody bodies in front of her and got ahold of the gun once more. She had taken two lives tonight; what’s another?

She slowly rose her hand to rest the head of the gun against her temple. If she were to get out of this alive, the puzzle wouldn’t be complete, would it?

Still holding Raph’s limp _dead_ palm, she closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

Then, she pulled the trigger.

_Time stood still, the way it did before. It’s like I’m sleepwalking._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s a wrap! Who doesn’t love a dark ending? ;)   
> Thank you to everybody who has been supporting the story and I. I’ll be back to doing some Marvel stuff now, but hopefully will be able to do more TMNT work in the future!  
> Love y’all, Sarr


End file.
